Suction-tube for hydraulic dredging-machines.



L. J. BALTZ.

SUCTION TUBE FOR HYDRAULIC DREDGING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1910. I

- Patented May'21, 1,912.

L. J. BALT'Z.

SUCTION TUBE FOR HYDEAULIQ DREDGING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED Nov; 30, 1910.

1,027,095. PatenteaMa m, 1912.

2BHEETSSHEET 2.

,zinessgs: Q Iquzls Ina $112011 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS J. BALTZ, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SUCTION-TUBE FOR HYDRAULIC D-REDGING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS J. BALTZ, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Buffalo in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Suction-Tubes for Hydraulic Dredging-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in suction tubes for hydraulic dredging-machines, and more particularly to means within the tube for crushing rock and other solids drawn into the tube.

In hydraulic dredging-machines of certain types, a suitable digging or excavatingimplement is used for loosening soil and digging canals, trenches, etc; and connected with such implement is a suction tube through which the material dug is caused to be drawn by a suitable pump.

This invention is particularly designed for digging material containing rocks or other solids and it has for itsobject the provision of a simple and effective crushing means within the suction tube for crushing the rocks or solids ,as theyare drawn therethrough. v w

A further object of my invention is to provide a by-pass which connects with the main portion of the suction tube at opposite sides of the crushing means so that when loose material such assand, gravel, loam or the like is dug by the digging implement, that portion of the suction tube containing the crushing means can be cut out so that the material will pass directly through the by-pass and to one side of the crushing means; also to provide suitable means for directing the material through the portion of the suction tube containing the crushing means or to the by-pass as may be found desirable.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a gyrating' crusher-head surrounded by a crusher-shell and limited in its movement so as to occupy very little space within the suction tube.

With these and other ob'ects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of'parts to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed-out in the subjoined claims.

Referring now to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a portion of a suction tube showing my invention in a repre- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. November 30, 1910. Serial No.

Patented May 21, 1912.

sentative form. Fig. 2 is an enlarged crosssection, taken on line 2.2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isan enlarged I longitudinal section taken on line 14, Fig.

1. Fig. 5 is a cross section on a slightly reduced scale taken on line 5-5, Fig. 4;. Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on line 66, Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a cross section taken on line 77, Fig. 4.

The reference letter 'A designates a suction tube having a main passage B and a by-pass B This tube in part comprises two oppositely disposed Y-shaped members A A one arm a of each Y-shaped member forming part of the by-pass, and the other arm a forming part of the main passage. The arms at of the Y-shaped members are connected by a distance tube a while the arms a are connected by a crusher section or shell a in which my improved crushing apparatus C is located. One Y-shaped' member may well be termed an entrance member, and the other a discharge member.

In the entrance member, designated A is located a gate D pivotally secured therein at the crotch d and capable of swinging from the position shown in full lines, in Fig. 1, to that shown in dotted lines, or conversely. Pivotally secured to the discharge member designated A is a. gate al its pivot point being also at the crotch of said member so that it may close the discharge end of the by-pass as shown in full lines,

or the discharge end of the main passage as shown in dotted lines. These gates are secured to rock-shafts d which pass out through stufling boxes 03 in the upper wall of the tube at thecrotches thereof and have operating levers d secured to their outer ends by means of which the gates may be swung either into position to close the main passage, or to close the by-pass, as desired. The outer ends of the Y-shaped members are secured to the usual tube-sections E.

The crusher section a is enlarged laterally and made preferably circular in a diagonal plane, with the axis thereof at an acute angle to the course of the material passing through said section. .In order to withstand the crushing force, the circular portion of the crusher section or shell is made heavier, as at 0Z andan internal endless depression is formed in this cylindrical wall to receive chilled iron staves F which which lining may be of chilled iron or any other hardened metal capable of withstanding the crushing strain or wear to which the internal surface of the crusher shell is necessarily subjected.

The crusher shell has extending therethrough a crusher shaft Gwhich is arranged diagonally therein and one end of which enters a floating sleeve H located in an opening I-I formed in one of the lateral extensions of the shell; said opening being closed by a cap it secured to the outer side of said extension and said sleeve H being of smaller diameter than said opening so as to permit of its oscillating therein, thus forming what I term a floating fulcrum for the shaft. A stutling box I closes the inner end of the opening H and in order to properly receive and support said stuffing box, the crusher shell is provided with an annular depression 2' around the shaft G in which depression is mounted a gyrating stuffing-box plate 2' itself having a depression to receive packing i held in place by a gland i. The stuffing-box plate 1' is retained in the depression 2' by means of clips i fastened to the crusher shell, as at 2' and having their free ends extending over the marginal portion of said plate.

In line with the lining of the crushershell, the shaft G is flared rearward or toward the discharge end of the shell, as at g, and forced onto this flared portion of the shaft, is the crusher-head J which is itself flared rearward. The enlarged cylindrical portion of the crusher-shell is tapered rearward so as to provide an annular crushing space K between the crusher-head J and the lining F; said space being gradually diminished rearward or toward the discharge end of the crusher section so that rocks or other solids entering said section, will easily be drawn into the crushing space and when the crusher-head gyrates, as will be presently described, the solids will be most effectively crushed and can then continue in their course through the suction tube and pump to be delivered at the desired point.

At a point diagonally opposite the opening II the crusher-shell is provided with a comparatively large opening L whlch 1s closed by a bearing sleeve or casing L whose inner end enters said opening, and said bearing-sleeve or casing has an outstanding flange Z near its inner end through which are passed bolts Z that take into the wall of the crusher section to securely fasten said bearing-sleeve or casing in position. Said bearing-sleeve or casing is open at its outer end and provided with a removable cap Z fastened thereto by means of bolts Z. In said bearing-sleeve or casing is located for rotation, an eccentric sleeve M which is inserted through the open outer end of said sleeve or casing when the cap Z is removed and which has at its outer end a gear wheel wt, preferably formed integrally therewith and provided with an axial boss m on its outer flat face whose outer face is made convex; said boss entering a concaved depression m formed on the inner side of the cap F. The bearingsleeve or casing L is enlarged at its outer end beyond its intermediate dimensions to accommodate the gear wheel mand at one point it is extended laterally, as at Z, to accommodate a pinion N in mesh with the gear wheel on and secured to a driving shaft N journaled at one end in the sleeve or casing, as at n, and passing through a stuffing-box formed in the' cap Z Said driving-shaft has a belt pulley O secured thereto and may be suitably journaled outside of the crusher section in any suitable manner.

The crusher shaft G has its rear end loosely fitted into the eccentric sleeve M and between the crusher-head and said sleeve it is provided with a parti-spherical enlargement g surrounding which is a stuffing-box P comprising a stuffing-box plate 7 having a packing depression 77 in which packing is located and a gland 72 entered into said packing-depression to compress the packing around the parti-sphrical portion of the shaft in a water-tight manner. The stufling-box plate 7 bears against a wearing ring 79 fastened to the end of the bearingsleeve or casing L by means of bolts 9 said wearing ring having an annular rib 79 to which are fastened clips 79 that overlap the marginal portion of the stufling-box plate and retain the same in proper position against said wearing ring.

During the operation of the crushing apparatus, the rear end of the crusher-shaft, which is entered in the eccentric sleeve M, is caused to continually change its center and said shaft may rotate within the sleeve, and under certain conditions does rotate within said sleeve wit-h the latter rotating independently around it. Owing to the shaft being packed against leakage of water by the stufling-boxes I and P, a certain amount of friction is created thereon, thus, when the eccentric sleeve rotates, there is under ordinary conditions, only a wabbling or gyrating movement of the shaft; and during such movement, the stuffing-boxes I and P are similarly moved, the stuffing-box P having a greater range of movement than the stuffing-box I. Owing to the rear end of the shaft having direct connection with the eccentric sleeve and the front end thereof being practically fulcrumed in the fl0ating sleeve II, this action on the part of the crusher shaft is continued at all times except when a rock or other solid matter enters the crusher shell between the crusherhead and the crusher lining, at which time considerable friction is created on the crusher-head which compels the shaft to rotate also.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is,-

1. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a suction tube having a main passage and a by-pass opening at opposite ends into said main. passage, and a crusher in said main passage between the ends of said by-pass.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a suction tube having a main passage and a by-pass, a crusher in said main passage, and means for directing the material passing through said tube to said crusher or diverting the same through said by-pass.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a suction tube having a main passage and a by-pass connected at opposite ends with said main passage, a pivoted gate at each end of said bypass, and a crusher in the main passage between said gates.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, a

a suction tube having a pair of Y-shaped sections, a distance section connecting two arms of the Y-shaped sections, and a crusher section provided with crushing mechanism and connecting the other arms of said Y- shaped sections.

5. In an apparatus of the kind described, a suction tube having two Y-shaped sections, a gate provided to the crotch of each Y-shaped section so as to open or close either thereof, a distance section connecting two arms of said Y-shaped sections, and a crusher section provided with crushingmechanism connecting the other arms of said -Y-shaped sections.

6. In an apparatus of the kind described, a suctiontube having an enlarged circular portion, a crusher shaft arranged in said circular portion, and a crusher-head mounted on said shaft and arranged to gyrate.

7. In an apparatus of the kind described, a suction tube having an enlarged circular portion, a crusher shaft arranged in said circular portion, and a crusher head carriedby said shaft and arranged for-gyrating movement within the circular portion of said tube.

8. In an apparatus of the kind described, a suction tube having a circular enlarged portion with its axis at an angle to the course of the material passing through said tube, a shaft arranged therein, a crusherhead mounted on said shaft, and means for imparting a gyrating movement to said shaft.

9. In an apparatus of the kind described, the'combination of asuction tube having a main passage and a by-pass or auxiliary passage opening atopposite ends into said main passage, and a crusher in one of said passages between the ends of the other passage.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

A LOUIS J. BALTZ.

Witnesses:

ELLA C. PLUEOKHAHN, EMIL NEUHART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. i 

